Chapter 318: Let's Get Some Fresh Air (1)
The Imperial Academy underwent significant changes after Robens Academy’s visit.
First, the proportion of the student body occupying the training grounds shifted heavily in favor of the swordsmanship department. Of course, I had cut the sky before Robens Academy’s visit, but the students only saw the result of the sky being split back then, not the process of me swinging the sword.
This time, however, the students who flocked after hearing rumors witnessed the entire process, making them believe that a human had indeed cut the sky.
As a result, students filled with competitive spirit practically lived in the training grounds, while the magic department students, pushed out by the frenzied swordsmanship students, had no choice but to retreat to the library while cursing all the way.
“Good day, Executive Manager.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Executive Manager! Good morning!”
“Ah, yes. Good morning.”
Respect and admiration seemed to spread alongside ambition, as the number of students greeting me skyrocketed. Needless to say, over 90% of these students were from the swordsmanship department.
It was an utterly unfamiliar situation. In the past, the students usually observed me from a distance or approached me indirectly through Erich even when I occasionally attracted their attention. Now, students popped up like random encounters to talk to me.
Thankfully, eye contact didn’t immediately trigger duels, but as someone who had always avoided unnecessary interaction with students, this new attention was overwhelming. When civilians approached excessively, it was civil servants who ended up suffering from nervous exhaustion.
I can’t push them away, either.
I could at least avoid them if they were malicious civilians, but these were innocent students, full of pure admiration, and were approaching with nothing but respect in their eyes. Even aside from managing my reputation, my conscience wouldn’t allow it.
— Isn’t it good to be popular? I think you’ll inspire more students to want to join the Prosecutors’ Office, Executive Manager.
“Are you a genius?”
I received an unexpected response when I contacted the 1st Manager with such complaints.
Come to think of it, she was right. If I became an object of admiration, new civil servants would flock in without any effort on my part. Just look at the Magic Tower—it was overflowing with mages enchanted by the Mage Duchess. The Prosecutors’ Office could easily follow the same path.
Auto-recruitment.
I felt like shedding tears of joy. Manpower that gathered on its own without me having to go around handing out recommendation letters was a miracle I didn’t dare dream of.
— It’ll be easier from now on. Usually, only those with considerable ambition or the crazy ones joined the Prosecutor’s Office.
“Did you really have to say that to my face?”
— But it’s true, so what can I do?
The 1st Manager pouted as if asking why I was scolding her. I felt like pinching her cheek right away, but sadly, she had a point.
While the Prosecutor’s Office’s role and authority were considerable, the corresponding workload and responsibility made it a place difficult to enter unless they were consumed by the desire for promotions or just plain crazy. This was especially true after I became the Executive Manager and caused quite a stir.
Some people tested the waters by briefly joining to pad their résumés, but very few stayed long enough to leave their mark. The moment someone showed promise, they were off to greener pastures in another department.
Those bastards.
Like Leaf Village ninjas, they ghosted as soon as we had invested in training them. One of the measures we took to prevent this exodus was the recommendation letter system.
Of course, the primary role of recommendation letters was to discover talent others might have missed, but frankly, it was also a kind of branding. If someone joined the Prosecutors’ Office with my recommendation and later tried to defect to another department, they’d need a pretty thick skin to live with the shame.
— By the way, Executive Manager.
“Yes?”
As I was imagining a happy future where people would commit to the department without recommendation letters, the 1st Manager cautiously spoke up.
— You’re really okay, right?
I couldn’t help but smile at her rare, careful question. She knew the situation to some extent, so I guess she was worried too.
“I’m fine. Do you think Beatrix would’ve stayed quiet if something had gone wrong?”
— Well, that’s true.
Genuinely convinced, the anxiety and worry that had lingered on the 1st Manager’s face instantly disappeared.
The senior staff, including the 1st Manager, knew about Kagan’s stab wound on my body. It wasn’t exactly something to boast about, so I didn’t show it to them directly, but I did go for treatment several times right after becoming the Prosecutors’ Office’s Executive Manager.
An Executive Manager who consistently went for treatment even while busy dealing with internal opposition and the Second Prince’s faction... Even the most oblivious person would think, ‘Ah, this guy’s injury is no ordinary wound.’
So when such a person suddenly started tearing the sky apart, concerns were bound to rise.
“Well, what is there to worry about with the future saint and the continent’s best mage around?”
— Honestly, it does seem safer than the capital.
“Exactly.”
In a place defended by the ultimate holy spell user and the pinnacle of magic, the only way to receive an ‘unrecoverable’ diagnosis was to die instantly. And with Kagan in the afterlife, who could send me there in one blow? Even Dorgon couldn’t do that.
— Still, please tell us in advance next time. We were really surprised when we suddenly heard you had cut the sky.
At those words, I silently looked at the 1st Manager. Despite her attempt to appear cheerful, I could sense the bitterness and hurt hidden beneath.
It was understandable. From the 1st Manager’s perspective, of course she’d feel hurt. Hearing about your lover’s potential injury through rumors rather than from the person themselves would make anyone feel slighted.
That was my mistake. With the final boss beside me who could overturn everything with magic if I made a wrong move, I didn’t even think about the 1st Manager, who was in the capital.
“I’m sorry. I’ll tell you right away from now on.”
— As long as you understand.
I smiled gently at the 1st Manager’s exaggerated snort.
“There won’t be any ‘So there was someone like that—‘ situations...”
— No! Why do you remember things like that so well?!
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